What excites you most about working at Dublin? Working at Dublin School is a unique experience. Having taught at a much larger boarding school prior to Dublin, I have a richer appreciation for the type of programs that we offer and the community that we build with our students. A characteristic of Dublin School that stands out for me is that we expect our students to engage with adults and each other in an inclusive manner. While respecting each other's personal interests, opinions and traits, we work together to learn and create. There is not one niche that Dublin School falls into because we attract students with various academic, artistic, and athletic/outdoor interests. This a refreshing place to work because while we have high expectations for our students, we support our students to help them develop as learners and community members.

Why do you teach and what do you love about your discipline? I moved from the traditional classroom to become the College Counselor because I was looking for a new challenge and the idea of guiding students both in one on one situations and group meetings was appealing. The relationship that I can develop with students is different in that I am never "grading" their work, but rather helping them reflect about themselves, think about the future, and create goals.

What animates you? Outdoor activity is an essential part of my lifestyle. Whether running in a road race, skiing the Dublin School Nordic trails, coaching youth lacrosse, or chasing my children down the ski slope, keeping active energizes me. I have always appreciated the fact that athletics and outdoor recreation are an integral part of a student's Dublin experience.

What do you do to push kids outside their comfort zone in the classroom?The college process is a challenging time for adolescents, and in turn for parents and the college counselor. There is a delicate balance between letting students lead the journey and over-steering their pathway thinking that we are helping by not letting them make mistakes. Throughout the college process at Dublin School, I hope that our students will develop as informed decision makers, take responsibility for meeting deadlines, learn self-advocacy skills, and compose personal writing through self-reflection. Many of these tasks will be new experiences for our students and will stretch them in new directions.

How do you teach to "the range", both the high achievers and those that are challenged by your discipline?I suppose there is a perfect script for how a student should proceed through the college experience, but I have yet to find that student. Each student I work with has their own pace, their own needs, their own aspirations. I respect that and work with each student in the manner that is needed to help each individual proceed through the process.